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It was a cool night in downtown Tokyo, and the streets were bustling with people. Crowds passed back and forth in large numbers, a sight that wasn’t particularly unusual for this part of town. And among the crowd, Kaiji and Kazuya walked hand in hand, in search of a spot to spend their evening together. The two hadn’t originally planned to spend the night out, but Kazuya had impulsively decided he was in the mood for a change of pace and suggested they find somewhere “exciting,” to which Kaiji had reluctantly agreed.
However, Kaiji couldn’t relax. He looked over his shoulder for the second time in the last few minutes and spotted them, even through the crowd and 50 feet away -- Kazuya’s bodyguards. They hadn’t left the apartment with the Black Suits in tow, but Kaiji knew they would show up eventually, always keeping a close eye over his boyfriend no matter where they went. Frankly, it creeped him out, and he turned his head forward, looking down and letting out a frustrated sigh.
“What’s wrong, Kaiji? Did I dress too fancy again?” Kazuya picked up on Kaiji’s mood and was worried his nice suit and leather shoes would make Kaiji feel uncomfortable, who only wore a band shirt and jeans. “We can head home and I can change clothes, if you want!!”
“No, it’s not that. You look fine.” It was true -- Kaiji thought Kazuya looked nice when he dressed up for their dates. There wasn’t any need to feel embarrassed when they spent time together anymore. But Kaiji still couldn’t shake his discomfort with having Kazuya’s staff tailing them the entire evening, even from a distance.
“It’s your goons, dude. Don’t you get sick of having them around all the time?”
“My goons? You mean the Black Suits?” Kazuya responded, “I guess I’m just used to them. I kinda forget they’re there, to be honest.”
“Well, they give me the creeps. Can’t you tell them to go home and take tonight off?” Kaiji was slightly bothered by Kazuya’s apparent shift from concerned to dismissive. Kaiji desperately wanted alone time with Kazuya without his bodyguards watching their every move.
“Oh, I’ve tried that one before. It’s the one time they won’t listen to me -- they just trail behind like they are now. Sorry, babe.” Kazuya shrugged his shoulders, earning a groan from Kaiji. Kazuya didn’t seem to care, but Kaiji knew he’d be on edge with the knowledge that they were being watched. It wasn’t like Kaiji needed to avoid Teiai’s hired hands the way he used to -- in fact, after having dated Kazuya this long, Kaiji knew they wouldn’t do anything that would put him at risk. Despite this, he still couldn’t shake his knee-jerk reaction he had whenever he saw them, left over from his days of debt and living in hiding. Just having them around made Kaiji uneasy.
While Kazuya excitedly rambled on about the kinds of food they could share together, Kaiji was focused on thinking up a way to spend some alone time with his boyfriend. That was when an idea struck him, a grin spreading across his face.
“Hey, Kazuya, you said you wanted something exciting tonight, right? I think I know something we can do, just the two of us…. But you gotta stick close, and don’t let go of my hand, okay?” Kaiji was smiling so huge, he almost looked evil. Kazuya was a bit confused by the sudden enthusiasm.
“What are you talking ab-” But Kazuya couldn’t finish his sentence before Kaiji suddenly lunged away from him, pulling Kazuya by the hand and weaving the two of them hurriedly through the busy crowd.
Kazuya yelped in surprise. “Kaiji! Where the hell are we going?!” But Kaiji didn’t respond, instead focusing ahead as he dashed between people, pulling Kazuya behind him. His mind raced -- he actually wasn’t thinking of anywhere in particular, and had hoped an idea would come to him once he started this crazy plan. A department store? Too easy to get cornered. Maybe back to Kaiji’s apartment? But he knew it would be too likely of a destination, where they’d certainly find Black Suits already anticipating their arrival home.
You’re a legendary gambler! Think of a plan!
The two snaked and sprinted their way down blocks of sidewalks, doing their best to gain as much distance as possible between themselves and the Black Suits. Kazuya was starting to wheeze, himself not in the best of shape or prepared for running compared to Kaiji. Kaiji glanced behind him just once while turning a street corner, confirming they were still being followed. And they were -- he spotted two Black Suits, further down the street but close enough for Kaiji to see them angry and attempting to follow the couple through the crowd, haphazardly pushing people out of the way. Kaiji pulled Kazuya down a couple more blocks, crossing streets and passing intersections, before finally spotting a flash of hope. He pointed his finger ahead to show Kazuya their best bet at getting away -- the train station.
“There!” Kaiji turned to look at Kazuya, “If we can time it right, we can board the train without them and get off at the next stop!”
“Kaiji, we can’t!” Kazuya shouted back angrily, “I don’t have a fucking subway card!”
“What the hell are you talking about?!”
“Why would I need a subway card?! I own a limo!!”
“Shit!” Kaiji stopped suddenly in front of the station entrance, his light of hope suddenly burning out at Kazuya’s response. Buying Kazuya a ticket would waste too much time, almost certainly allowing the Black Suits to catch up to them. And he knew Kazuya wouldn’t be able to jump the turnstile the way he had to in the past, when low on transport funds. But he knew they couldn’t sacrifice any more time -- Kaiji couldn’t see the Black Suits, but stopping here for even a few more seconds would close the gap more than he wanted. He grabbed Kazuya’s hand again and darted to the right, away from the station towards another street. He recognized this area a bit more, and thought maybe, if they could get away to that one spot…..
The two ran a few minutes more, crossing over one, two, three alleys before reaching a street away from the crowds from earlier, emptier due to being located close to a nearby neighborhood. It was quieter, but Kaiji was still anxiously running and pulling Kazuya behind him.
“Kaiji… Hahh… How much further… Are we gonna go…” Kazuya was covered in sweat, completely out of breath. Kaiji slowed his pace a bit, figuring the plan would’ve been a waste if Kazuya couldn’t keep up.
“Just a bit more. Do you see that up ahead?” Kaiji pointed again down the street, this time to an unassuming spot between two houses where a small bar stood. The front of the bar didn’t invite any amount of attention compared to the flashy spots a couple streets over, with a modest exterior and a small sign advertising their happy hour selection. The two reached the entrance, and Kaiji quickly pulled Kazuya inside, shutting the door behind them. Inside were a few patrons and groups of friends, who turned their attention towards the commotion at the front entrance where Kaiji and Kazuya stood catching their breath before returning to talking and laughing amongst themselves. Inside was small, but cozy -- dim lights illuminated plush seats and small tables, and over his breath, Kaiji could hear faint jazz music. The bartender welcomed the two as Kazuya collapsed onto a stool, wheezing loudly and begging for a glass of water.
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Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes passed, and still no sign of the Black Suits. Kazuya’s phone had been bombarded with desperate phone calls from his bodyguards, but he ignored all of them before turning the device off.
“Won’t they get mad at you for that?” Kaiji was concerned he’d made a mistake pulling Kazuya away like this.
“Eh, sure they’ll be mad, but it’s not like I’m gonna get in any kind of trouble. I mean, what are they gonna do to me?” Kazuya smiled at Kaiji, having finally caught his breath and cooled off after their journey across town. Kaiji, for the first time this evening, let out a sigh of relief.
“Y’know, Kaiji…” Kazuya leaned back into his chair, where the two were sitting together, “I said I wanted something exciting tonight, but… I didn’t think you’d pull a stunt like that! You’re still a daredevil after all this time, aren’t you?”
Kaiji laughed, blushing a bit. He could tell when Kazuya was flirting with him, “I guess so, huh? You think I still got it in me?” He teased back, making Kazuya snicker.
“Yeah! You’re still surprising me all the time, babe! How did you even know this place was here?”
“Oh, I used to hit this spot up with coworkers before. I like that it’s a little less busy, makes it feel really intimate, right?”
“Yeah, I don’t think I would’ve stopped somewhere like this before, but I don’t mind small places like these if it’s with you. Even if it was a little last minute,” Kazuya squeezed Kaiji’s hand before standing up out of his seat, turning towards the bar, “Here, let me get us something to drink.” However, Kaiji jumped out of his seat ahead of him.
“This was my idea, I’ll treat you tonight.” He leaned forward towards Kazuya and patted him on the back, thrilled to finally have some time together without feeling spied on, “Do you know what you want?”
“Hm… You know, I think I do.” And Kazuya leaned forward as well, giving Kaiji a deep, loving kiss. Kaiji smiled and returned it, wrapping his arms around Kazuya’s shoulders. Inside like this -- sharing each other’s space -- they really were the only two people in the world.